It was not until the latter part of the 7th February 1587 that Mary was
informed of her official execution the following morning at eight o'clock. She was
refused the services of her Catholic priest, De Preau, but offered those of the Protestant
Dean of Peterborough which she declined. She was then left alone to spend her last evening
with her by now well depleted group of servants. Mary demanded an early supper and
appeared serene amidst her servants' tears. She then proceeded to go through all her
remaining possessions by distributing them between her servants and some of her foreign
relatives. Having done so, she put pen to paper and drafted an elaborate will
designed to provide for the welfare of those she was leaving behind. She then wrote
a letter to her Chaplain De Preau in lieu of the confession she had been denied. Her
second letter was to her brother-in-law, Henri III of
France. It was by then two o'clock in the morning and Mary simply lay on her bed
fully dressed without attempting to sleep.

Between eight and nine in the morning she was led to the Great Hall of
Fotheringhay where she was eventually allowed to have some of her servants present after
much pleading and reasoning. Sir James Melville her Secretary, Bourgoing her
physician, Jacques Gervais her surgeon, Didier her porter and two of her women, Elizabeth
Curle and Jane Kennedy were allowed to attend. She entered the Great Hall dressed in
a black satin dress, embroidered with black velvet, and set with black acorn buttons of
jet trimmed with purple. On her head she wore a white lace-edged veil flowing down
her back to the ground. Her stockings were edged with silver in her black Spanish
leather shoes. Her garters were of green silk and her petticoat of crimson
velvet. She held a crucifix and prayer book in
her hand and two rosaries hung down from her waist; round her neck was her
pomander chain and an Agnus Dei.